Meet Michelle and Dan, our April featured couple. Both from Minnesota with a fair amount of time spent in sunny Southwest Florida, their engagement took place on the sandy beaches of Captiva Island in Florida, and their wedding is set to be in summer of 2020.
Michelle and Dan met for the first time on a Saturday night out in downtown Minneapolis. Michelle had gone out with a friend for some dinner and drinks. For a moment, she couldn’t contact her friend so decided to search for her in a bar where she ended up briefly meeting Dan. Once Michelle found her friend, they walked back to Michelle’s car only to find that the place she’d parked switched to a taxi zone 10 minutes prior and her car had been towed!
She said to herself, “Do I get a cab home now or do I go back to the bar to see that handsome man?” Michelle and her friend decided to head back into the bar. They found each other and Dan bought her a drink. They talked and laughed for a few hours, and before parting ways, they decided to set up a date to get to know each other a little bit more. While walking to a taxi zone, Michelle and her friend saw a cool alley bar that they had to check out, and there was Dan again! It was there that the two spent another hour or so laughing and talking until the evening came to a close.
"The universe was truly relentless in bringing us together."
A month passed by the time their schedules aligned and they went on that first date where they met for a libation in a quiet restaurant bar outside of the city. Talking, laughing and connecting through the evening, it was right then and there that Michelle said she felt like she was with her very best friend that she just hadn’t met until that moment. Since that date, they’ve been laughing and loving each other for about 5 ½ years.
On their proposal day, Dan flew into Naples, FL on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2019. He demanded that they drive up to Captiva Island right away the next morning. Captiva Island is a really special place to the couple. It is one of the best getaways in Southwest Florida, and has the decor and vibe of a picturesque Caribbean island. They decided to start their day by getting a workout in on the beautiful beach. They arrived at a secluded chunk of beach and took turns holding each others feet while they got their sit-ups in. Michelle says, “I laid on my back in the sand, he held my feet and I began crunching up. We counted, “One, two, three…” When I sat up, there was the most beautiful ring held in front of me. He was naturally on one knee from holding my feet.” In a calm and clear voice, Dan proposed and of course, Michelle said yes.
“For a moment, it was us and the expansive, blue water. Dan created a space in time that embodied our relationship: best friends madly in love with endless possibilities. We spent the moment talking and laughing (and a little happy dancing) in bliss.”
They walked back for lunch at KeyLime Bistro where they listened to live beachy music and ate. There was one more surprise though, Dan informed Michelle that they were going back to Naples where he had a beautiful suite booked for them. They celebrated their engagement watching the sunset and sipping champagne.
When it came down to her engagement ring, Michelle says, “Well, there is a secret to our relationship: I never wanted to get married until I met him, so when he came home from work one night and asked,”what’s your ring size?” I didn’t know the answer. I’d been following MiaDonna for a while as they're the best in ethical and eco jewelry, and the only thing I knew for certain was that I wanted my ring to be from MiaDonna. I went to a get my ring sized at a local jeweler and began noticing what I liked and didn’t like for engagement rings.
I shared my likes and dislikes with Dan. After I was done looking at engagement rings, I let go of any control of the outcome and the idea that he was going to propose. He took those desires and partnered with the MiaDonna team to create this completely custom ring of my dreams. It’s EXACTLY what I wanted and then some."
"So stunningly beautiful, and I feel confident wearing it knowing that it caused as little harm to our world as possible. It’s the most thoughtful, meaningful, and gorgeous item I’ve ever been given. I refuse to take it off.”
The MiaDonna team wish Michelle and Dan a beautiful marriage and life together, and we are honored to play a part in their marriage and engagement. Wishing them only the best for the future! If you're interested in working with our custom design team to create a uniquely-beautiful ring of your own, learn more here or contact us directly today!
